will you?"

Arthur now stepped before him, and addressed some words to Atollo in his
own language, the purport of which I could only guess.

The other listened attentively without evincing any surprise, and then
made answer, speaking rapidly and by jerks as it were, and scanning us
all the while with the eye of a hawk.

When he had finished, Arthur turned to us. "This man requires us, he
said, to give up Eiulo to him; he claims him as his brother's son, and
says that he wishes to convey him home to Tewa. He promises to leave us
unmolested if we comply, and threatens us with death if we refuse: you
see it concerns us all--what do you say?"

Arthur was very pale. He looked towards Morton, who said nothing, but
stood leaning against one of the pillars of the Aoa, with his eyes
steadfastly bent upon the ground.

"Ask Eiulo," said Browne, "if this man is his uncle."

The question was accordingly put, and the trembling boy answered
hesitatingly, that he did not know--but he believed that he was.

"Ask him," pursued Browne, "if he is willing to go with him."

Arthur put the question formally, and Eiulo, grasping his arm, while
Johnny still held fast by his skirt, answered with a shudder that he was
afraid to go with him.

"Ask him why he is afraid," continued Browne.

The answer was, that he believed his uncle would kill him.

These questions were put loud enough to be easily heard by Atollo, and
Arthur deliberately repeated the answers first in Tahitian, and then in
English.

"Well," said Browne, "I am now quite ready with an answer, as far as I
am concerned. I never will consent to give up the poor boy to be
murdered. He is old enough to choose for himself and I think it would
be right to resist the claim even of a father, under such
circumstances."

"Is that to be our answer?" said Arthur, looking round.

It was a bold stand to take, situated as we were, and we felt it to be
so; but it seemed a hard and cruel thing to yield up our little
companion to the tender mercies of his unnatural relative. Though there
were pale cheeks and unsteady hands among us, as we signified our
concurrence in this refusal, (which we all did except Morton, who
remained silent), yet we experienced a strange sense of relief when it
was done, and we stood committed to the result.

Arthur now motioned Johnny and Eiulo to climb into the tree, then
turning to Atollo, he said that as the boy preferred remaining with us,
we wer